"Not unless I was on the point of starvation. In principle, but not in practice, I have no objection to a high-welfare, organic puppy farm. You can't object, unless you also object to the farming of pigs. It's an artificial construct of our society to make pets out of dogs and meat out of pigs.

"Both animals could be used the other way round ... although pigs probably do make better meat than dogs and dogs better pets than pigs. But it's not a foregone conclusion."

Naturally, all hell broke loose.

"The dog has evolved so much in the time he has been with us to become part of the family," said the editor of the magazine Dogs Today. "It would be objectionable to start eating our best friend. Dogs are so intelligent and so useful in so many ways. Just to kill them for meat is disgusting and a huge insult to man's best friend."

Responded the dog-welfare charity group The Dogs Trust: "Dogs are companion animals and provide immeasurable love, comfort and support to owners."

Of course, the problem with their comments is that, strictly speaking, Fearnley-Whittingsall is absolutely right. Dogs are raised and slaughtered for food in several countries around the world. It just happens that in Western culture, dogs are anthropomorphized and seen as off-limits because they're family members, not animals.

The same goes, to varying degrees, for any animal that's seen as cute. We have no problem eating pigs, even though they can be as affectionate as and are actually smarter than dogs. But they're not cute once they get past the Babe stage, so we might as well turn them into bacon. Vegans are on-target when they make the argument that, logically speaking, it's a bit self-contradictory for people to get worked up about dead baby seals and then munch down on a sandwich made from a chicken in a factory farm. And it's not like we don't eat meats (beef, pork) that other cultures (Hindu, Muslim) find barbaric.

Of course, I'm not arguing that everyone ought to either take a fork to Rex or give up all meat. I'm just saying that, if you're one of the vast majority of humans who compromise between eating all animals and eating none (me included), you ought to at least acknowledge that that you're swallowing a little bit of hypocrisy along with your position.

I object to any kind of factory farming, and personally object to any animal or bird being eaten. But the thought of a cat or dog being devoured for the simple pleasure of human gluttony absolutely repulses me. Some people will eat anything just for the shock effect.

Raquel_25 06:46:06 PM on 11/09/11

That is sick.

vintagejenta 01:31:34 PM on 10/15/11

He does make an excellent point about how humans view food (especially in the West) and I'm sad that he was so vilified for it.

I wouldn't want to eat a dog or a horse, but I won't get super made at people who do. Any more than I would get mad at people for eating cute fuzzy bunnies or clean intelligent pigs (anyone else ever been slightly weirded out that pork is so delicious, and yet is remarkably similar in composition to human flesh?) or loving, sad-eyed cows. I have no qualms about anyone eating chickens. I've met many of them and while some of them are nice, the majority of them are dirty, cannibalistic, mean animals.

jfain 12:33:47 PM on 10/14/11

If you want to call it hypocrisy then everyone who eats is a hypocrite unless they are willing to eat anything. Vegans eat plants which are also alive. To live we must kill that is the kind of animal that we are. Everyone has to decide for themselves what they are and aren’t willing to eat based on their beliefs and preferences.

steviepup 03:15:00 PM on 10/13/11

His point is somewhat sensible but the fact is that dogs ARE different than pigs. Pigs have been bred to be eaten, dogs to be pets. Research suggests that dogs partially domesticated themselves, becoming well-attuned to human gestures and language so they were fed instead of chased away. For example, dog puppies could understand the meaning of a point on the first trial, whereas wolves were unable to learn the meaning. A better question would be to ask if you would eat a cat. Better still, a rat, because they are equally unattractive, omnivorous, and disease-ridden.

serena72 02:53:00 PM on 10/13/11

"It's not like he forked a dog or anything." HAHAHAHAHA! Great line, crpaulk.

The editor of Dogs Today says that it would be disgusting to kill and eat dogs. I wonder whether he or she considers the killing of pigs, cows, etc to be disgusting?

SomeoneWhoBakes 12:45:33 PM on 10/13/11

I agree with him completely, but perhaps from a different point of view. I think pigs are just as cute as puppies, and that's why I don't eat pork. I would certainly hope that eventually our society would see the link of similarity between the animals we love and cuddle and the animals we eat and thereby give the "eating" animals a more respectful, humane life (and death), but unfortunately I'm a realist and I'm not holding my breath for that to happen

mizk1 11:31:17 AM on 10/13/11

I feel he's right. He's trying tio make a point, and says he would not eat one unless abs. necessary (in other words) Neither would I. Would I kill one and eat it if I was starving? I dont know - I have not been in that situation, and dont know how I would react to that. It's very easy to say "I would never do that" but when push comes to shove? I dont know.

AndyMatts 11:15:55 AM on 10/13/11

He pointed out that our divisions between food and friend were more societal and arbitrary than based on anything in particular. He's right. He also pointed out that he is in complete alignment with our own arbitrary societal mores about that distinction.

So, having said he'd pretty much never eat dog, wouldn't advocate that others do so, and that he agrees with that particular social ban in our society, what's the fuss about?

crpaulk 11:02:59 AM on 10/13/11

Geez. people need to lighten up. It's not like he forked a dog or anything. I say things like, "I should just stick a pen in my eye", or "I'm gonna kill him!", but I don't actually do it. There are countries where eating a dog is not looked down on, as barbaric. I'm just not doing it.

soilgirl 10:42:37 AM on 10/13/11

He's just trying to make a point, and you've completely missed it.

jbov13 09:34:38 AM on 10/13/11

I totally agree with what he's saying, because it's in theory not in practice. You're dead-on in the assessment that as pet-owning omnivores we have to recognize our own hypocrisy. Perhaps if more people did, they would go more out of their way to eat meat that is raised ethically and not simply factory meat.